Although they’re a winter crop, leeks have a delicacy of flavour that suggests spring, especially when paired with purple sprouting…
Serves 4
90g (3¼oz) plain flour
80g (3oz) butter
125g (4½oz) Shropshire Blue or similar cheese, finely diced
150g (5½oz) leeks, trimmed and sliced
50g (1¾oz) purple sprouting broccoli (prepared weight), trimmed and separated into small florets
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
4 eggs
100ml (3½fl oz) milk
Leaves from two large sprigs of thyme
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1⁄8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1. Sieve the flour into a bowl. Cut 55g (2oz) of the butter into cubes and rub it into the flour with your fingertips. Mix in 20g (¾oz) of the cheese, then add just enough water to let you form the pastry into a ball. Roll out the pastry and use it to line a greased
20cm (8in) flan tin. Chill it in the fridge for half an hour.
2. Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper and baking beans and bake it at 190°C/375°F/gas 5 for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and return it to the oven for five more minutes.
3. Melt the remaining 25g (1oz) butter in a frying pan and add the leeks and garlic. Sauté them gently for five minutes, then add the broccoli and continue cooking for three more minutes.
4. Put the vegetables into a bowl with the remaining cheese, eggs, milk, thyme, nutmeg and pepper and mix everything together.
5. Pour the filling into the pastry case and return it to the oven for 20 minutes, or until the filling is set and starting to colour.
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